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Making the Republican Case for Black Support

The post-Obama era is an opportunity for the GOP to reboot its efforts

By

Jason L. Riley

Oct. 6, 2015 6:17 p.m. ET

While Republicans are busy deciding who will represent the party in next year’s presidential election, Gary Franks is contemplating how the eventual nominee could do a better job of attracting black support.

If his name sounds familiar, Mr. Franks is a former congressman from Connecticut and a bona fide racial pioneer. Upon winning his House seat in 1990, the Waterbury native became the first black Republican in Congress in nearly six decades and the only one ever elected from Connecticut. Over the next six years, Mr. Franks...